Rain pattered against the glass windows of the academy as the morning fog clung stubbornly to the gothic spires of Ardentia's Royal Academy. But inside the rose-adorned conservatory where the Noble Society hosted its weekly brunch, the atmosphere was anything but calm.
Whispers flitted through the room like bees, stinging with rumor and suspicion.
> "Did you see her at the Awakening?" "Lady Valemont… there's something off about her magic." "She smiled when the Saintess faltered."
Aurelia sat at the far end of the table, elegantly poised as she stirred her tea with deliberate calm.
She wore midnight blue today—a shade too bold for most noble ladies, but perfect for a villainess in control. Her long raven-black hair was swept into a loose braid over one shoulder, and an obsidian pin rested behind her ear.
> [Passive Perk Activated: Cold-Blooded Charm]
[+10% authority in social environments]
Across from her sat Lady Mirielle Thorne, still rattled from their conversation the day before. The seeds of doubt had bloomed beautifully—Seraphina had left the conservatory early this morning, looking pale and confused.
> "She's starting to crumble," Aurelia thought.
---
[Main Quest Progress: Break the Heroine's Circle — 35%]
[New Objective Unlocked: Isolate the Saintess]
---
> [Daily Quest: Sow discord between heroine and one of her admirers]
Reward: +150 Fate Points | Penalty: -25 Reputation with noble ladies
Perfect.
Aurelia's eyes slid toward her next target.
Lord Cedric Vayne — the flirtatious heir of House Vayne, famously infatuated with Seraphina. And notoriously insecure.
> "A man like him… easily swayed by beauty and suggestion."
Aurelia rose and approached the piano by the window, letting her fingertips graze the ivory keys. She began to play—soft and slow, a haunting lullaby her mother once taught her.
The room quieted. Even Kaelren, standing by the bookshelves, looked over.
Then Cedric approached.
"You play beautifully," he said, offering a lopsided grin.
Aurelia smiled, letting her lashes lower.
"Music soothes the soul," she murmured. "Even one... betrayed."
Cedric blinked. "Betrayed?"
She let the music drift for a moment. "Seraphina and I used to be close," she lied, voice gentle. "Until she told the headmistress I cheated on my enchantment exam. I was humiliated."
Cedric's face darkened. "She did that?"
Aurelia didn't nod. Didn't confirm. She just looked away with a bitter smile.
> [System Notice: Manipulation Successful]
[Cedric's Favorability with Seraphina -10]
[+150 Fate Points]
---
Later, she returned to her dormitory, where her system screen flickered to life.
---
[Villainess System Panel]
Fate Points: 500
New Unlockable Perk:
Shadow Memory (300 FP): Gain access to glimpses of the heroine's future system visions.
Charm of the Damned (400 FP): Seduction attempts gain a 30% success rate when mentally unstable characters are targeted.
---
Aurelia chose Shadow Memory.
Immediately, the system pulsed:
> [New Vision Unlocked: Heroine's Future Path #17]
Seraphina sobbing in the Moonflower Garden… alone. Abandoned by friends. Kaelren walking away.
> "So… that's where she'll break," Aurelia whispered, a chill crawling down her spine.
> "Then that's where I'll strike."
---
She closed her eyes that night, the system quietly calculating her next move. And in her dreams, she saw herself in a crimson gown, standing over Seraphina in a ruined chapel.
Her smile was not kind.
> "You played your part, Saintess."
> "Now step aside—my story has just begun."
---
To be continued in Chapter 4…